Alberene Soapstone Company

In 1880, quarrying operations were undertaken in Albemarle County and the Alberene Stone Company was established. The name Alberene was coined from the county name where the deposits were located and from the name of one of the pioneers in its development, J. Serene. In addition to the many quarries located along the veins, the corporation owned and operated one of the largest stone finishing plants in Nelson County. It also owned a short line railroad, a company store, company houses and a post office. In the more than 100 years the plant has operated, it has survived two floods, the Depression and two world wars. One employee of the company was Earl Hamner, Sr., whose son Earl Hamner Jr. created the story of the Walton’s, based on his own life in Schuyler growing up during the Depression.

In the tradition of the historic Alberene Stone Company, New World Stone Company operates the only active architectural soapstone quarries in North America, we offer a wide range of custom architectural, decorative and landscaping products.

While the core business of the facility is supplying architectural stone, New World Stone's ongoing mission is to bring artists directly to the soapstone quarry by providing foundry services for the creation of monumental works in stone. There are resident and visiting artists on the New World Stone campus.